Abigail Breslin will star alongside Matt Damon in the upcoming movie “Stillwater,” directed by Tom McCarthy.
Participant Media acquired the project after Damon boarded the movie in May. Participant previously worked with McCarthy on his Oscar-winning drama “Spotlight.”
“Stillwater” follows an American oil-rig rough neck from Oklahoma, played by Damon, who travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter (Breslin). In the process, he develops a friendship with a local woman and her young daughter and embarks on a personal journey of discovery and a larger sense of belonging in the world.
“Stillwater” will be produced in association with Participant Media, alongside Anonymous Content, Liza Chasin, Jonathan King, Tom McCarthy and the late Steve Golin.
Jeff Skoll and Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda will serve as executive producer. McCarthy co-wrote the script with Thomas Bidegain and Noé Debré. Production is set to start sometime next month.
Participant will produce and finance the movie through Amblin Partners. Stillwater is planned for release through Participant’s output arrangements via Amblin Partners. Focus Features will distribute domestically and Universal Pictures International will distribute in select international territories.
The “Little Miss Sunshine” star is set to reprise her role as Little Rock in Sony’s “Zombieland: Double Tap,” a sequel to the 2009 hit. Woody Harrelson, Jessie Eisenberg and Emma Stone are returning for the follow-up, which debuts Oct. 18.
Breslin is repped by CAA and Definition Entertainment.